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Kindergarten Spelling Resources

20 kindergarten spelling resources: 18 activities. How teachers use these

Kindergarten Spelling Resources

20 kindergarten spelling resources: 18 activities. How teachers use these

Activity
ActivityKindergartenPopcorn Blends Activity

In this popcorn blends activity, K-2nd Grade children spin a blend, sort 12 picture cards into popcorn boxes and fill in a practice page, with an answer key included for quick checking.

Activity
ActivityKindergartenWord Work Activity

This word work activity lets kindergarten and 1st grade students build CVC words with color-coded consonant and vowel tiles, then write each word. An answer key is included for quick checking.

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ActivityKindergartenDear Valentine Activity

This dear valentine activity has K-2nd grade students pick heart word cards for family and school helpers and spell each word on a Valentine card. Answer key included.

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ActivityKindergartenBlends, Digraphs, and Trigraphs Activity

Using the Blends, Digraphs, and Trigraphs Activity, students create lists of words that have beginning and ending blends, digraphs, or trigraphs.

Activity
ActivityKindergartenConsonant Digraphs CH SH TH WH Activity

In this consonant digraphs ch sh th wh activity, Kindergarten to 3rd Grade students sort 16 picture-word cards by their first sound, with an answer key included for easy checking.

Activity
ActivityKindergartenFall CVC Mat Activity

Kids build short-vowel words with pumpkin tiles in this Fall CVC Mat Activity for preschool to 1st grade. Answer key included, so checking each word mat is fast.

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ActivityKindergartenCVC Word Mats Activity

This CVC word mats activity helps preschool to 2nd grade students build and spell short vowel words with letter tiles, with a practice page and an answer key included.

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ActivityKindergartenApple CVC Mat Activity

This apple cvc mat activity lets PreK-1st grade students build short-vowel words with apple letter tiles on 12 picture mats. Practice worksheet and answer key included.

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ActivityKindergartenBeginning Consonant Blends Activity

This beginning consonant blends activity gives Kindergarten to 2nd Grade readers 12 picture clip cards, a recording sheet and a practice page, with an answer key included, so they can hear and write r-, l- and s-blends.

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ActivityKindergartenSpelling Short Vowel Words CVC Words Activity

This spelling short vowel words CVC words activity has Kindergarten and 1st Grade students build words with frame and vowel cards and sort real from made-up words. Answer key included.

Activity
ActivityKindergartenSound Hound Sounding Out Words Activity

UsingSound Hound Sounding Out Words Activity, studentsplay Sound Hound to practice sounding out words with three sounds (3-4 letter words).

KindergartenSuper Speller Reward Certificate for Boys

Using the Super Speller Reward Certificate for Boys, your student will feel celebrated and recognized for their spectacular spelling skills.

Activity
ActivityKindergartenBeginning Consonants Baseball Activity

Using the Beginning Consonants Baseball Activity, students play Baseball to practice identifying the beginning consonants of words.

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ActivityKindergartenRhyming Words Bingo Activity

Using Rhyming Words Bingo Activity, students Play BINGO to practice identifying and listening for rhyming word pairs.

KindergartenSuper Speller Reward Certificate for Girls

Using the Super Speller Reward Certificate for Girls, your student will feel celebrated and recognized for their spectacular spelling skills.

Activity
ActivityKindergartenRibbit Rhymes Activity

This Ribbit Rhymes activity has K-1st grade kids hop frogs along a lily pad board, read each word and write a word that rhymes with it. Answer key included.

Activity
ActivityKindergartenCheep Cheep Cheep Consonant Digraphs Activity

This consonant digraphs activity has children match ch, sh, th and wh picture cards to word cards, with a memory game and practice page for kindergarten to 2nd grade. Answer key included.

Activity
ActivityKindergartenSeashells by the Seashore Consonant Digraphs Activity

Using the Seashells by the Seashore Consonant Digraphs Activity, students practice listening for and identifying initial and ending digraphs by collecting seashells into digraph buckets.

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ActivityKindergartenBlends Activity

Using the Blends Activity, students match the blend, word and picture cards to build their beginning blends word fluency.

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ActivityKindergartenLet's Eat Fresh Fruit Blends Activity

UsingLet's Eat Fresh Fruit Blends Activity, students write examples of words with beginning blends to include in their writing.

From our teachers' playbook

Stretch it out, write it down!

What do kindergartners learn about spelling?

Kindergarten spelling starts with listening. Kids learn to stretch a word slowly, hear each sound, and write a letter for it: c-a-t = cat. They spell simple CVC words, start writing a few sight words, and use rhymes to spell word families. Invented spelling like "kat" is a great sign they're hearing sounds. The click moment comes when a child sounds out "dog" all by themselves and proudly reads it back.

Our favorite ways to make spelling stick

Kindergarten spellers need sounds first and letters second. These moves keep it playful.

Build words on a mat

Give each child a CVC mat with three boxes. Say a word, and kids push a letter tile into each box as they say each sound. Then they read the whole word. Moving tiles makes every sound visible.

Why it works: going from real objects to pictures to symbols is a core recommendation of the U.S. Department of Education's elementary math guide.

CVC Word Mats ActivityTry it withCVC Word Mats ActivityActivitiesOpen it →

Rhyme BINGO

Call out a word and kids cover a picture that rhymes. Then ask, "What letter changed?" Rhyming helps kids see that cat, hat and bat share a chunk, which makes spelling much easier.

Why it works: playful practice with a clear goal keeps kids practicing longer, and simple learning games have been shown to build real skills (Ramani and Siegler, 2008).

Rhyming Words Bingo ActivityTry it withRhyming Words Bingo ActivityActivitiesOpen it →

Daily word work

Spend five minutes a day on word work: build, write, read. Little daily practice beats one long spelling session, and kindergartners love the routine.

Why it works: spreading practice out over days is one of the two most effective study methods in a major research review (Dunlosky and colleagues, 2013).

Word Work ActivityTry it withWord Work ActivityActivitiesOpen it →

What's on this page

Teacher favorites right now: Popcorn Blends Activity, Word Work Activity and Dear Valentine Activity.

Questions teachers and parents ask

What spelling should kindergartners know?

By the end of kindergarten, most children can spell simple CVC words like cat and dog by sounding them out, write their name, and spell a handful of sight words.

Is invented spelling okay in kindergarten?

Yes. Invented spelling shows a child is hearing and writing sounds. Spelling "kat" for cat means they are on the right track, and conventional spelling grows with phonics practice.

How do I teach my kindergartner to spell words?

Say the word slowly and stretch each sound, then write a letter for each one. Start with three-letter words and use letter magnets or tiles.

Should kindergartners have spelling tests?

Many classrooms skip formal tests in kindergarten and focus on hearing sounds and building words. Short, playful practice works best at this age.